30 Second Movie Review:Transformers:Dark Of The Moon

I really loved the first,hated the second until a second viewing years later brought it up to OK at best status.This one was pure drivel,and a second viewing would only force me to rip my eyes out.I am convinced that this thing was made up as they went along,the world's first improv action film.I don't expect Shakespeare from a giant fighting robots movie,but the first had a good script and heart.The second lacked both but had some of the first's aura.This is easily one of the worst films I have ever seen in a theatre.I could write about and dissect it's shortcomings but I just don't care enough.Stay away.1 star(and that's only because it's so bad it earns a little respect for that)

Genius

The writer's of Lost have a laugh at their detractors by taking some swipes at themselves....still the best show ever.

Holy Scowl

Dredd looks pissed.That's how he always looks.

Battle Scars???

Marvels "Post Fear Itself" branding will be titled Battle Scars, kind of like "Dark Reign", or "The Heroic Age". I'm sure it will be pretty good, because most of Marvel's stuff as of late is good, but, am I the only one that feels like I should be listening to Evanescence and applying guyliner when I hear the title?

Cover To Cover

The Losers was a great series,and Jock's art was as much a part of that as Andy Diggle's writing,a perfect mix.Jock handled covers as well,and I love this issue for the way it showcases The Losers against Old Glory.Great cover from a great book.I got to get around to reading that series again..

Dr. Who Fall Trailer

Here it is. Hot off the presses?? the internet?? who cares.. Either way it's the trailer for the fall "season" of Dr. Who. Enjoy the goodness.

The Rick Grimes Power Hour

If your not reading the comic version,at least watch the show.October is so far away.

Almost Time To Get Showtime Again

Dexter should not still be this good of a show.The concept of a vigilante serial killer working for the police seems hard to sustain,especially since his secret has gotten out here and there,but damn this show is awesome,I cannot wait.

30 Second Movie Review:Drive Angry

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Saturday Cup O' Joe Panel

Just a couple of announcements from the Saturday Cup O' Joe panel in San Diego, and since the rest of the Con has been pretty slow in terms of major announcements, or WOW factor moments, at least in my opinion, this will have to do.

First Cable is back, Jeph Loeb, and Ed McGuiness will be taking the helm on Cable Reborn, which I'm sure pleases many fans of the '90's run, which many herald as some of Loeb's best work, but seeing as how I was never much of a fan of the character, I am kind of lukewarm at best about this announcement.

The second and, really kind of annoying announcement, is the second (or third, or fourth, I really don't care) of the Marvel .1 initiative, which to me, was an unmitigated flop the first time around, with the exception of the Invincible Iron Man 500.1, which was fantastic, and a watershed moment in comics storytelling...thank you Mr. Fraction.......thank you. What bites my ass about this "next wave" is some of the characters involved, FF, Thor, Moon Knight, Daredevil, Cap, Venom, Iron Man, (whom already HAD a .1...see my comments above), and Ghost Rider???? didn't he just have a 0.1 Issue, a month back???? and, aren't most of the previously aforementioned characters in BRAND NEW books??? which are on I believe issue 6 (in the case of FF) at the worst?????? Moon Knight is on issue 3 (4 hasn't come out yet) and Daredevil just restarted this week for gods sake, why the hell does he need a .1 issue???? just buy the #1, they explain it all in there!!!!!!!!!!!! the same goes for Cap. At the worst, by November which is basically 4 issues from now give or take, many will still be UNDER #10, most hovering around 5 or 6. Hardly Needing of a .1.

More Avengers Goodness

Two more Avengers themed posters for your viewing pleasure. Marvel released the images of Thor, and "The agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" on Saturday the Thor pic is tremendous.

But the interesting one is the S.H.I.E.L.D image, not only do we see Nick Fury, and Agent Coulson, but we get our first look at Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) as Maria Hill.

Mac Is Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mac Is Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 'Nuff Said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DC The New 52

These are an assortment of interior art for some of the DC new 52, these images were shown at various panels in San Diego. Some truly amazing work going on here, if the writing is as good, I think we can all look forward to some awesome reading come August.

Avengers Assemble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some absolutely stunning concept art for the upcoming Avengers Movie, these were debuted at Comic Con, and from what I read, were available in poster form at Marvel's Helicarrier themed booth. Ebay here I come!!!!!!

Batman Arkham City!!!!

This is the newest trailer for the upcoming game Batman Arkham City, which is developer Rocksteady's follow up effort to the sensational Arkham Asylum...this video debuted at Comic Con last night.

Keep an eye on the end of the trailer for a peek at the newest addition to the rogues gallery in this game. One of my favorites.

Cap

Here is a look at Captain America's modern day costume that will be worn in the Avengers film next year.It looks closer to what he wears in the comics than the one in the current Cap movie,which is meant to be a more combat ready suit.Pretty spot on too.

Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3

One of the early big announcements from Comic Con was Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3!!! love the first installment, great game!!!!! while we are not privy to the complete list of CONFIRMED new characters the rumors are flying, with Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Nova, and Rocket Raccoon joining the confirmed Marvel characters Hawkeye, and Ghostrider, and on the Capcom side Nemesis, Phoenix Wright, Frank West, and Vergil joining the confirmed additions of Strider and Firebrand, along with an updated control scheme, this one is shaping up to be a winner.

Eatin' Crow

Hello all..... and by "all" I mean the roughly half a dozen people that read this blog....It's been a while, and I am ashamed of myself for not posting for some time, but real life gets in the way every now and again.

Just wanted to take a minute, and say that sometimes I can be wrong, and I have most assuredly been put in my place by DC. A while back I wrote that most tie-ins to the "big crossover" events are for the most part useless and not worth your time, but in the case of Flashpoint, man how wrong I have been!!!! EVERY SINGLE tie in has been fantastic (with the exception of some horrible editing in the Green Arrow Industries one shot) it's absolutely incredible...the creative teams on these books have really put forth some amazing work, and the scope of world building that is going on here is amazing, if you haven't jumped on board with Flashpoint, or have just been reading the main story, believe me you are missing a TON, and seeing as how the DCnU 52 is coming directly out of this, it just makes sense to read the complete epic. After some really disappointing company wide crossover events in the soon to be "old" DCU, it's really refreshing to see this, and I only have the highest hope that what comes out of it will be equally as great...

Walken A Fine Line

Jay Mohr guesting on an old episode of The Simpsons as Christopher Walken.Classic.

A Bit Emo

Spidey is not Batman.Sure he is born of tragedy,but he is not mentally impaired like Bruce.This trailer looks too dark.Can't judge til it comes out,but the tone is too heavy.

Osama's Back!

SEAL Team 6 killed him,the military dumped him at sea,and from there some sort of underwater radiation brought him back as a 100 foot tall monster.At least thats what Erik Larson wants you to believe in October when Bin Laden rises from his watery grave to fight Malcolm Dragon.Some people are offended by this,which I find funny,because it is no more offensive than the average episode of "South Park".Real life events bleed into art forms all the time,and since we didn't get the satisfaction of seeing Osama taken down,we can enjoy it here,in the pages of a funny book.America,fuck yeah!

The Thing Prequel With The Same Title,Not Remake

This may be good or bad.I love the 82 Carpenter original,and if this is a prequel then I guess these characters are screwed.This was supposed to come out in April and got pushed to October,that is almost never good.

As Far As Third Batman Movies Go,It's Gotta Be Better Than "Batman Forever",Right?

Teaser for part 3.Footage from the first film,Gordon talking to Bruce,or Batman about making a comeback,and a beaten Bat backing away from Bane.2012 is a long way off.

I AM THE LAW!

Karl Urban looks like a pretty badassed Dredd.The upcoming film will be out sometime in 2012,and is simply titled,"Dredd".And the helmet never comes off.

Total and Complete Badassery

This is from an Egyptology website online.I found out a few years ago that my last name has a meaning in ancient Egypt,and there is a symbol for it.

Amenta

This symbol represents the Underworld or Land of the Dead. Originally it meant the horizon of the sun set. Later, it became the symbol of the west bank of the Nile, where the sun set and also where the Egyptians traditionally buried their dead.

That is just too cool.

Spidey

Peter(Andrew Garfield)going all Spidey

Finally some pics from the new Spidey.I am looking forward to this,if for no other reason,than to hopefully wash Spiderman 3 out of my mouth forever.The trailer for this is supposedly going to be in front of Captain America next week.

Classic pose

I like the design of the suit,the blue on the palm of the glove is different,but it works

I didn't mind the retcon of organic webshooters,but I love the mechanical ones too,really emphasizes Peter's scientific knowledge and ability.

Things I Have Learned About The Flashpoint Universe

Flashpoint is the big DC summer event,and it actually has lived up to the hype that surrounds these type of books.The main story and all minis have really enrichened this new world we are reading about.Here are some spoilery bulletpoints.

-Batman is a billionaire.Just not the billionaire we are used to.Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne survived the gunpoint robbery,which left young Bruce dead.Bruce's death created Batman out of Thomas' need to fight evil,and in a bigger twist,made Martha the Joker,as losing her son completely twisted her.Oh and Batman kills criminals.

-Abin Sur is still Green Lantern of Sector 2814,and Hal Jordan is just a test pilot.

-Cyborg is the most powerful hero in this version of the DCU,and he works directly for President Obama.

-Jason Todd reformed after a youth spent as a drug addict and is a Gotham priest.

-Booster Gold and Barry Allen are the only two characters who have any memory of "our"DC universe.And we learned that this is not an alternate timeline,this is our timeline altered.

-Superman isn't a hero,let alone Super.Since crash landing on Earth,he has been kept underground unable to soak up the sun's yellow rays,studied and guarded.

-Aquaman and Wonder Woman were to wed,uniting the Atlanteans and Amazonians.Things didn't work out and the two races are at war.Aquaman has destroyed most of  Europe and Wonder Woman has taken over the U.K.

-Grodd rules Africa,but it's just not enough.

-There is a resistance in the U.K. readying a revolution against the Amazons,and Grifter from the Wildstorm universe is a member.

-Ollie Queen is not a hero,but an industrialist using supervillain tech and reverse engineering it to sell to the highest bidder.

-Frankenstein's monster was used as a soldier against the Nazis and actually ended WW2 by killing Hitler

-Plastic Man makes one hell of an entrance

Read Flashpoint,it has been fun so far.

The Dark Knight Rises Poster

Great image,awesome poster....can't wait

And He Still Got To The Show On Time

Mic Todd,bassist for Coheed and Cambria was arrested today for holding up a Walgreens with a note claiming he had a bomb and demanding Oxycontin.He fled the scene via cab and was caught at his final destination,The Comcast Center in Mansfield,Mass where Coheed was opening for Soundgarden.I just saw this show last Wednesday at Mohegan Sun and can't believe how nuts drugs make people.He was going to get on stage and play to a giant crowd as if nothing happened.A few years ago he was kicked out of the band due to his drug issues but brought back after he cleaned up.I don't think they are going to give him another shot,especially since he is probably going to jail.Crazy.

30 Second Movie Review:The Green Hornet

Netflix night,The Green Hornet.I have looked forward to this,despite almost no real knowledge of the character's exploits in any medium.The previews looked to be a good mix of action and comedy.

The mix is right,there is plenty of comedy,but counterbalanced by some good actiony type stuff,fights,car chases,etc.The problem lies in the characters.Britt Reid as played by Seth Rogen is a manchild with daddy issues who inherits his father's estate after his death.Early on you get the message that Britt is irresponsible,but as the movie goes on you realize he is also pretty much an unlikable asshole.Kato,his father's mechanic is also a character that I found kind of hard to like.They decide to join forces as crimefighters,posing as criminals(hmmm)after helping a couple being mugged.They run afoul of the city's crime lord,a crooked D.A. and uncover the truth about Britt's father's death.

This could have been way worse,so I can't complain too much,I just want to root for the good guys,and I just couldn't here.The Black Beauty is quite the car though,and the film looks really good..if only it had characters I could get behind.3 stars.

Sons Of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original

September!

The Walking MFing Dead

This says so much while saying so little

Van Halen + Extreme= No Go

I recently saw a live Extreme show from a couple years ago on HDNET,it was quite good,they were a pretty good band.I started trying to remember any of VH's stuff with Gary Cherone on vocals and couldn't.This song is the single and we know how the rest went.I prefer him to Hagar.It just seems like him being in that band never really happened.

Old Friends

Jaws is my favorite film of all time,and is special to me in many ways.It came out a few months before I was born,and it was the start of the annual tradition known as the summer blockbuster film season.There was a period of my youth,probably from about 11-13 years old,where I made it a point to throw my VHS copy of Jaws in once a month,every month and watch it.That was how much it engrossed me.It still does.I love to read about it's (very troubled)production,watch documetaries on the making of,and even can sit through Jaws 2 once in a while.Here is a great behind the scenes pic of Robert Shaw,taking a well deserved break with a hungry costar,before filming his final scene in the film,and actual final scene he filmed chronlogically.

Cover To Cover

GL 176,cover by Brandon Peterson.Just an iconic cover,the ring glowing with power.This is one of the last few issues of Vol.4,right before Hal came back from Spectreville.I recently had my copy signed by Ron Marz,creator of Kyle Rayner and longtime GL scribe at a convention.Simple cover but quite cool.

Single Issue Standout

In the world of comics,the story arc reigns king.Two or more issues telling an adventure,weaving the story through each issue.When done,the series moves onto the next arc,or gives us a one and done,single issue story.This new feature will highlight any 1 particular issue of a book,either standalone or part of a larger arc that just hits every note,and begs reread.

Jonah Hex number 50 of the current series is one such book.Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray continue to write the heck out of this book,and are joined by Darwyn Cooke for this oversized tale.Jonah has been keeping company with female gunslinger Tallulah Black,and as we open,she is seen leaving him.Jonah takes on a large bounty of 50 outlaws and proceeds to take them down.We move forward in time and find Tallulah moving into the same small town Jonah is trying to clean up.She is building a home,as she is trying to change her ways and go legit,as she has...a baby on the way.The baby is kidnapped by a religious zealot,and Jonah is forced to track them down.

The final scenes involving Jonah,the captured kidnapper woman,and a local lawman as they try to ascertain the baby's whereabouts are tension filled.The final few panels where Jonah leaves a small gift for Tallulah were drawn and written with pure emotion.Darwyn Cooke's cartoony style works very well with the Western genre.This issue was full of action,but plenty of character development,which says alot for Jonah,who is written as a man of stone,rarely showing feeling.A definite single issue standout,even if you don't normally read Jonah Hex,pick up a copy of #50.

How Deep?

Cleveland Jr. is in love,help him out Scottie P.

Lost in Comics

In early 2008,as "Lost" was about to debut it's fourth season,ABC and Marvel partnered up and began putting references in some of their books.A poster with a character on it,an Oceanic reference,etc.It was all good fun and I remember it,and getting excited when seeing it.

Despite the coolness of that partnership,nothing quite took the cake from Adam Hughes,who earlier than the Marvel easter eggs,decided to spice up one of his "Catwoman"covers with his love of "Lost".Enjoy.

Subtle Oceanic reference in Daredevil

Subtler poster with Kate on it in Tbolts

The numbers,in your face!

Old School Flavor!

Great version,featuring The Roots

And I Won't Choke Like The Buffalo Bills

Out with the (kind of )old

In with the new

The title is a lyric from Ice Cube 20 years ago,reinforcing that even when the Bills were good(4 Super Bowl trips in a row)they still managed to suck(4 losses).

The Bills aren't known for their prowess in signing free agents,making good draft picks or trading for veterans who could help the cause.So instead of going the route any professional team would go to make a better team,the Bills are hoping for a little of the magic that helped the Broncos and the Buccaneers in the late 90s,they are changing their uniforms.The Bills have had some of the busiest uniforms in the league since they updated in 2002.Pinstriping and sidestriping and different colors on the shoulders on the jerseys alone.The new unis are much more understated,using the red,white and blue color pattern simply,and the helmets have gone from red to white.

The Bills are more than likely going to stink again this year.At least they have moved up a notch and left the Miami Dolphins with the ugliest uniforms in the AFC east.Small victories.

Steranko On Indy

Interesting stuff is found on the web.Back in 1979,Paramount commisioned legendary comic artist Jim Steranko to do 4 paintings for a new project,"Raiders Of The Lost Ark".In essence,Indy was  based on these designs.I did not know that.If you have never seen Steranko's work,check out his Nick Fury stuff from the 60's,really cool stuff.

Soundgarden Next Week

Going to see the reunited Soundgarden next week at the Mohegan Sun Arena.Pretty excited because I like SG,and getting to go to a concert with prices where they are is a rarity for me nowadays.It's not actually a problem of being able to afford it,it's more the justification of spending that much.These tickets weren't cheap,but a night out with the wife every once in a while is worth it.Oh and the opening act is Coheed and Cambria,a band I would pay to see live,so it's a bonus.